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Taxi drivers reluctant to work late night shifts due to ‘drunken, violent or abusive customers’

Taxi drivers in Barnsley are reluctant to work late night shifts due to drunken, violent or abusive customers, according to a new report.

Barnsley Council has surveyed taxi use in the borough, which it has to do to justify its limit of 67 licensed hackney cabs.

A report following the survey found gaps in taxi provision for a number of reasons.

It said that there is an issue getting drivers to work during the busy late night and early morning periods, due to concerns for their safety.

Seven per cent of drivers surveyed said they avoided working during these times, in case they face ‘drunken, violent or abusive customers’.

It also said demand for services in the borough has increased from 3.4 per cent in 2017 to 9 per cent in 2024.

BMBC is currently waiting to hear news of a bid for funding so it can install CCTV in hackney carriage vehicles in the hopes this will encourage more drivers to work at unsociable times and not avoid ‘difficult customers’.

If the funding is granted, the council will consult drivers on the CCTV plans.

The report adds: “Our two largest private hire companies have been amalgamated and have also brought with them out-of-town drivers that although raising a significant concern to the trade, are helping to fill the unmet demand gap.

“Despite there being unmet demand that is significant we would not introduce more Hackney Carriages vehicle licences at this time, althoughother research and a repeated full survey with rank surveys no later than March 2025 is recommended.”

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CCTV appeal following robbery inside taxi in Liverpool city centre

Detectives are appealing for information following a robbery inside a taxi in Liverpool City Centre. They have issued a CCTV image of a man who may have information that could assist their enquiries.

At around 4.45am Sunday 31 March we received a report that a man forced his way into a taxi on Seel Street which had a woman and her friend inside the rear of the vehicle. The man attacked the woman and stole her handbag before he was removed from the taxi by a doorman and fled the scene.

The woman was thankfully unharmed but was left very distressed after the incident.

Since the attack detectives have conducted CCTV and witness enquiries to identify the suspect, and have now issued an image of the man they believe could assist with their investigation.

Detective Inspector Steve Street said: “Our officers are continuing to investigate this violent and frightening attack which left a woman fearing for her safety after the incident.

“Thankfully another man and door staff bravely intervened and helped the woman after the attack. We are appealing to anyone who helped the victim or recognises this man pictured to come forward and contact us as soon as possible.

“Everyone should be able go out and feel safe in our city without the fear of being attacked and we are determined to find whoever is responsible and bring them to justice.

“We think this man may have vital information to help our enquiries so if you know him please come forward as soon as possible.

“Similarly, If you work in the area where this happened and have any CCTV or dashcam footage from the early morning of Sunday 31 March that captured this incident please contact us so we can continue to investigate."

If you have any information, please contact us directly via @MerPolCC on Twitter, 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' on Facebook with reference 24000299910.

Alternatively, call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report online at https://crimestoppers-
 

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New use planned for taxi kiosk at York Station

One of York’s smallest listed buildings could soon be put to a new use.

The taxi kiosk at York Station is now available to rent for commercial use.

Previously used by Station Taxis, the kiosk is said to be “suitable for a number of uses excluding a taxi office”.

The kiosk, in the north east corner of the portico, is Grade II listed. Timber with a glass roof, it dates from about 1900.

“This is an unusual survival of an increasingly rare building,” the official listing states.

According to the lease document, this is a “prime serviced retail unit” in a station with around 9.5 million passengers a year.

The 164 square feet kiosk is on the market for a rent of £1,667 pcm, or £20,000 a year.

The details add: “The station will during 2025 to 2026 be undergoing redevelopment work and the intention is to pedestrianise the portico.”

York Station Taxis still gives the portico as its address on its website. YorkMix contacted the business for a comment but hasn’t yet heard back.
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York taxi firm under threat if owner found to be ‘unfit to hold a licence’

A York taxi firm could be run off the road if councillors find its owner to be ‘unfit to hold an operator’s licence’.

York Cars is operated by Mohammed Iqbal. A report to the licensing & regulatory committee asks members to consider revoking his licence.

It alleges the following conduct by Mr Iqbal:

i) Enabling drivers (licensed by another authority) that the council would not consider ‘fit and proper’ to work as private hire drivers in York
ii) Blaming the council for its stance over Uber for the position, ‘when this is not the case’
iii) Operating ‘690 Taxis’ and ‘Street Cars’ in York without an operator’s licence
iv) False or misleading customer testimonials.

The report states: “All of the above may give rise to concerns with regards to Mr Iqbal’s honesty and integrity, going to the heart of the ‘protection of the public’ consideration which is the reason for licensing private hire operators.

“In turn, this may give members a reasonable cause to believe that Mr Iqbal is not ‘fit and proper’ to hold a private hire operator’s licence.”

Mr Iqbal has been licensed by the York council as a private hire operator since 20 October 2016.

His current licence was issued in April 2019 following a change of name from ‘York and Ebor Cars’ to ‘York Cars’. Council records show that there are 154 drivers and 134 vehicles licensed to work on behalf of York Cars.

The licence is due to expire on 19 October 2021.

According to the report York Cars is licensed by Wolverhampton City Council rather than York.

This is a lawful practice. But the report says:

Mr Iqbal obtained an operator’s licence in Wolverhampton with no intention of undertaking journeys there.

This was designed to circumvent York’s local licensing controls and recruit those drivers who were unable to pass our safeguarding and knowledge test.

Mr Iqbal’s operation sent (even sponsored) new applicants for driver licences, who they knew did not to have the requisite knowledge to pass the York tests, to Wolverhampton to obtain a licence, on the grounds that they would drive in York regardless.

It also says he ran taxi services under two other trading names ‘690 Taxis’ and ‘Street Cars’ in York without an operator’s licence, and published ‘false or misleading customer testimonials’.

The council has also received complaints about Wolverhampton-licensed vehicles operating in York, many from other taxi drivers.

Complaints included:

i) reversing on a dual carriageway
ii) parking in a disabled bay at York Racecourse
iii) running a red light.

Councillors will consider the report at a meeting on 17 November at 5.30pm.

Their options are:

1. Revoke the licence
2. Suspend the licence
3. Take no further action.

In a statement, York Cars told YorkMix: “It’s business as usual at York Cars.

“We believe we have followed and adhered to all legislations.

“We are prepared to follow this through to the end and thank our customers, drivers and staff for their support.”

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Romanian taxi driver, 45, raped mother-of-three in the back of his cab after she fell asleep following a night out, court told

A Romanian taxi driver raped a female passenger in the back of his cab after she fell asleep following a night out, a court has heard.

Ioan-Cristian Manole allegedly took advantage of his 'very tired' lone female customer after she dozed off in the early hours of the morning.

Prosecutors claim Manole, 45, parked his cab in a secluded area on a road before removing the sleeping woman's leggings and underwear.

The mother-of-three, in her 40s, woke up and found Manole raping her, leaving her in 'hysterics', it was heard.

The alleged attack happened in the Fareham area of Hampshire, after the woman - who can't be named for legal reasons - booked a taxi home from a friend's house.

After she fled the taxi, the woman 'sought refuge' with a neighbour and was said to arrive at his in 'hysterics'.

Prosecutor Simon Foster Foster told the court: 'She was sobbing, she was distressed and of course he asked her 'what's happened?'. She said that she had nowhere else to go.

'He wanted to know whether she was hurt and she said no she hadn't been hurt, but 'I have been raped'.

'She was asked 'who?' and gave the answer 'it was the taxi driver'.'

Opening the trial at Winchester Crown Court, prosecutor Mr Foster said: 'She did not consent, she said she woke up in the taxi with this defendant already sexually penetrating her.

'We're not talking in this case about two parties who met in a bar, or something like that, we're talking about a taxi driver and his charge.

'Obviously a taxi driver is not a police officer or someone charged with the protection of the public.

'But, a taxi driver who is asked to take a lone female passenger home has a duty to see her home safely and properly.'

Mr Foster told the court that evening the woman had been out with friends for drinks.

Mr Foster said around 3am the woman left her friend's home in the Aqua Cars taxi and she had conversation with Manole.

Manole said he was divorced, lived in Southampton, Hants, and had a teenage daughter who was studying in Romania.

Mr Foster said: 'The journey home was uneventful. There was some conversation between them until the taxi driver pulled up near where to where it was that she lives.

'She recalled taking her seatbelt off and paying and she was still chatting to the taxi driver who at one point was on the telephone in Romanian - she didn't, of course, understand.

'She described that she was sitting in the back behind the driver of the taxi and fell asleep.'

The mother did not know how long she was asleep for and came round to find Manole raping her in the back seat of the taxi.

Mr Foster added: 'When she came to, she realised of course what was happening and it stopped.

'That taxi driver had taken advantage of a very tired female. She could feel his body against hers. She reacted by sitting up immediately.'

Manole is said to have dropped the passenger home and she 'grabbed her' leggings and underwear and left the vehicle.

Mr Foster said: 'She described feeling shocked and numb.'

In a police interview played to the court, the woman said 'everything has completely changed' after the rape.

She said she woke up in the taxi to a 'sudden pain' which 'jolted me back to what was happening'.

She said: 'When I realised what that pain was, that's when I realised what he was doing.'

The mother described attending her neighbour's house and said: 'I was hysterical and collapsed on the floor. He asked me what happened and I said I had been raped by a taxi diver.'

Manole alleges the sex was consensual and that he asked her if 'he could have sex with her and she said yes'.

He denies rape and sex assault by penetration.

The five day trial continues.

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Taxi driver injured in passenger knife attack

Mr Dale said he was very concerned for his own safety and that of other drivers

A taxi driver from Stoke-on-Trent said he was very nervous about returning to work after being attacked by a passenger with a knife.

Darren Dale was injured as he took a fare home from a night out in Hanley on Saturday, and said he had never expected the journey "to turn the way it did."

Mr Dale, a taxi driver for 23 years, was slashed to the head and side.

An 18-year-old man had been arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm, criminal damage and robbery, said Staffordshire Police.

Mr Dale said he was attacked in a dispute over a mobile phone, which the passenger had initially asked him to hold on to until they could get cash from home to pay the fare.

The passenger then wanted the phone back before the end of the journey, and Mr Dale said he handed it over, before taking it back when the customer went to get out of the car.

That led to a knife being pulled and threats being made, said the driver, who was chased around the car in the attack.

He said he had had "ordeals" during 23 years of doing the job, but "nothing on this level or scale," and the "town was getting scary to work in."

Mr Dale said he wanted to speak out about what happened as he was concerned for not just his own safety, but that of his fellow taxi drivers.

Staffordshire Police said it had arrested a man following an assault in Stoke-on-Trent at about 05:30 GMT on 16 March.

It confirmed a man in his fifties was attacked while inside a car by another man with a knife on Janson Street, Hanford, and suffered minor injuries to his head.

An 18-year-old man from Stoke-on-Trent had been arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm, criminal damage and robbery.

He had since been released on police bail while inquiries continued, the force said.

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Taxi drivers battle to keep licences as meeting told of 'errors of judgement'

A Blackpool cabbie who was involved in a collision after driving through a red light has been punished by town hall licensing chiefs.

The driver, who has not been named, had their licence suspended for a week and received a letter warning them they could be stripped of their licence if such an incident happened again.

Minutes from a meeting of the council’s public protection sub-committee say dashcam footage showed the driver had been “a substantial distance from the lights” when they changed from green, and “had accelerated from approximately 18mph to 34mph when they passed through the junction.”

The driver blamed an error of judgement and pressure from their employer to meet their schedule for the offence, which happened in March 2023 but had not been reported to the council until recently. The cabbie, who now works for another taxi company, said their previous employer only reported the incident after they had left the operator.

During the same hearing, the sub-committee stripped another driver of their licence after hearing they had been arrested over alleged drugs offences and in relation to an alleged assault in a hotel room.

Minutes from the meeting say due to “the seriousness of the offences disclosed, particularly the domestic incident in January 2024” it was considered the driver “was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence” and councillors ruled the licence should be revoked with immediate affect.

Both incidents were among four cases considered by the public protection sub-committee, sitting behind closed doors, when it met on Tuesday February 20 at Blackpool Town Hall.
 
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Moray man who spat in Buckie taxi driver's face told police officers "I was spiked"

A MAN who spat in the face of a taxi driver after becoming aggressive at the end of a night out has been ordered to pay £250 in compensation.

On July 22 last year, a taxi driver stopped to pick up a man and a woman outside a hotel on Low Street in Buckie at around 10.30pm.

The man, later identified as Ricki Thain (22) from Portgordon, got into the taxi alongside the woman but the driver could not understand what he was saying.

Procurator fiscal Karen Poke told the court that it was at this stage that Thain started to get loud and aggressive.

The taxi driver pulled over but Thain demanded that she take him home.

She told him to leave the taxi but Thain grabbed her by the t-shirt, scratching her neck in the process, before spitting directly in her face.

He then proceeded to spit all over the taxi.

She told him that she would phone the police but he continued to shout and started to kick the outside of the taxi.

He attempted to regain access to the taxi by pulling at the door but the taxi driver pulled away so that she could contact the police.

But Thain was still agitated when officers arrived.

He screamed in the face of one officer and resisted arrest, kicking his legs out in an attempt to break free.

And, upon being moved into the back of a police van, he again started to spit profusely.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard that a spit hood had to be applied en-route to the police station.

He claimed that he had been "spiked" after waking up the following morning.

Defence solicitor Grant Daglish told the court that Thain had been out with friends drinking on the night in question.

However, he has little memory of what happened but has since apologised in person to the officers who arrested him and is hopeful of doing the same for the taxi driver.

Sheriff David Sutherland ordered Thain to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

He also imposed a 12 month supervision order and ordered him to pay the taxi driver £250 in compensation

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Significant number' of women experience offensive remarks or behaviour from taxi drivers in Milton Keynes

The council is launching a new scheme to stop it

A significant number of women in Milton Keynes are reporting ”inappropriate behaviour” or offensive language from taxi drivers, it has been revealed.

Now MK City Council has launched a new White Ribbon scheme in a bid to solve the problem.

They are inviting local taxi drivers to become White Ribbon Ambassadors and display special White Ribbon stickers in their vehicles to show that abuse of women is not tolerated.

Newport Pagnell South Lib Dem Councillor Andy Carr proposed the motion and it was unanimously agreed at the recent full council meeting.

Cllr Carr told the meeting: “MKCC receives a high proportion of complaints from women in regard to inappropriate behaviour or language by taxi drivers towards female passengers.”

He added: “I want to stress that not all taxi drivers are offensive towards women, but there is a percentage that are. Women and girls have the right to feel safe in our city and as a licensing authority we should do all that we can to address this.

"Going forward, we want to ensure drivers get the correct training before being granted a license.”

MK City Council has now resolved to ensure that all new applicants and taxi license holders understand that verbal, physical and emotional abuse is not tolerated.

Mandatory safeguarding training for drivers will be improved so that it includes domestic abuse and equality training.

And the council will also encourage all those passengers experiencing abuse to report it.

Currently, all drivers licensed by the council undertake mandatory safeguarding training to ensure they have a better understanding of the abuse suffered by children and vulnerable adults prior to obtaining their license.

Milton Keynes City Council currently licenses approximately 1,500 drivers to provide private hire and hackney carriage services for residents in the city.

However, once a license is acquired, a driver can operate anywhere in England as long as they are licensed with an operator in a corresponding local authority area. This means that a large proportion of drivers operating in the city are licensed by other councils.

MK City Council will also work with operators to encourage their drivers to promote the White Ribbon campaign and write to Transport for London and other local authorities whose drivers operate in Milton Keynes to encourage them to take a similar approach.

Councillor Sophie Bell, who represents Shenley Brook End, said: “It’s concerning to hear that a high number of women have experienced inappropriate behaviour from drivers, but as all women know it’s not uncommon to be made to feel uncomfortable by offensive remarks or behaviour.”

She added: “I’m glad that positive steps will now be taken to raise awareness of the campaign amongst drivers, as this will allow women and girls to feel safe when travelling in taxis that display the White Ribbon.”

White Ribbon is a global campaign that encourages people, especially men and boys to challenge behaviour and change the culture that leads to abuse and violence against women.
 
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Will they what do you think?
‘Out of area’ taxi working will be banned under Labour

‘Out of area’ taxi working would be banned under Labour, Andy Burnham has said.

Mr Burnham, speaking on his regular BBC Radio Manchester ‘in the hot seat’ phone in, also said he had verbal confirmation from Louise Haigh, shadow transport minister, that the practice would be stopped.

Out of area working is where taxi drivers register with one local authority, but ply their trade in another part of the country. Many minicabs seen on Greater Manchester roads are registered in Sefton or Wolverhampton.

Our region’s leaders have tried to curb the practice with measures in the new Clean Air Zone, by ensuring only taxi drivers registered in Greater Manchester would be eligible for the clean taxi fund. That is a pot of money available to cabbies to put towards the cost of upgrading or replacing their cars to newer, cleaner models.

Mr Burnham’s revelation on Thursday (February 1) is the first time an outright ban has been touted.

He said: “[On] out of area working — the ‘Wolverhampton Problem’ — I was in Westminster yesterday (January 31), discussing HS2 with the government, but I was also with the shadow transport secretary.

“I got a firm commitment from the shadow transport secretary that out of area working will be stopped under a Labour government.”

Since Mr Burnham spoke on the radio on Thursday morning, a Labour spokesperson has confirmed the party will reform ‘minimum licensing standards’ to ‘address the abuse of cross-border hiring’.

A statement said: “As Labour have already outlined, we will ensure there are minimum licensing standards across local authorities, for taxi and private hire vehicles, including for the safety of passengers, to address the abuse of cross-border hiring.”

The date for the general election has not formally been set, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated it will be held during the ‘second half’ of 2024.

More than a third of private hire taxi drivers in Greater Manchester (GM) are licensed by a council that operates around 80 miles away in Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton Council have previously denied that it is "quicker and easier" to get a private hire licence with them, claiming applicants undergo a "strict and rigorous" process that includes a one day training course, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks, a medical certification and a face to face English assessment.

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Bolton taxi drivers to be warned after town centre concerns

Taxi drivers are set to be warned after complaints about “parking” and “illegal U-turns” in Bolton town centre.


Cllrs Ryan Bamforth and David Grant out with police in December (Image: Cllr Ryan Bamforth/The Bolton News)

This comes after a special police operation around Bradshawgate just before Christmas, where officers, joined by councillors, and dealt with several outbreaks of disturbances.

Cllr Ryan Bamforth, of Horwich North, said he noticed several concerns about taxi maneuvers and parking, which Bolton Council now says that the licencing unit will warn drivers about.

Cllr Bamforth said: “It was clear that the police have a lot to contend with and that was with one extra sergeant and eight extra constables on the ground.

“One matter arising was taxi drivers parking as and where they liked causing a risk the health and life along with illegal U-turn manoeuvres on a busy road.”

They were out between 11pm and 7am along with the Chief Inspector and Inspector of Greater Manchester Police’s Bolton district.

Addressing a full meeting of Bolton Council, Cllr Bamforth asked the authority’s leadership if they would meet with him and the others who came to discuss what could be done.

In response, cabinet member for regulatory services Cllr Sue Haworth said that taxi drivers would be warned about behaviour like this.

She said: “In addition to the joint enforcement work, the licencing unit is going to be asking for a communication to be circulated to all private hire and hackney carriage services and their operators.

“This will outline concerns in respect of the compliance with parking regulations, the illegal U-turns and other safety concerns.”

But Bolton Private Hire Association secretary Yasif Khan has said drivers in the town already know not to perform illegal manoeuvres despite the huge pressures they face.

He said: "Where does Bolton Council want us to go? They want the taxi drivers to bring the punters in, to help the night time economy and then to bring them home.

"They want us to do that but we've said we haven't got enough space there."

He added: "Our drivers, the Bolton drivers, we already tell them not to perform illegal manoeuvres.

"But there are licenced drivers from Wolverhampton and drivers from Uber there, not the Bolton drivers."

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Taxi driver drove over woman's foot as she crossed the road

A TAXI driver ran into a woman as she crossed a road at Skipton Bus Station, breaking one of her legs and bones in a foot, heard magistrates.

Haq Nawaz had picked up some customers and was turning in the entrance to the bus station at around 10pm on May 7 last year when he drove into the woman and over her foot, Skipton Magistrates heard today (Friday).

She was left with a broken tibia in one of her legs and broken bones in a foot, the court heard. She spent four weeks with her leg in plaster and suffered bumps and bruises.

Prosecuting, Mel Ibbotson told the court how the woman had described feeling an impact on the back of her knee and screaming at the driver of the taxi to stop.

She and her husband had been in the Fleece Pub in Keighley Road and were on their way to a restaurant when she was hit by Nawaz's taxi.

Nawaz got out of his vehicle, a BMW 3 series, and told the woman that he had not seen her, said Ms Ibbotson.

The woman recalled her husband shouting and swearing and thinking she could not walk. After 45 minutes, an ambulance arrived and she was taken to hospital.

An x-ray confirmed she had a broken tibia in one of her legs, and broken foot bones.

In an interview with police, Nawaz fully accepted what he had done, and explained he had just picked up a fare from Flutez and Fizz in Keighley Road and was turning in the entrance to the bus station, a road he knew very well.

Nawaz, 52, a man of previous good character, admitted causing serious injury by driving without due care and attention.

In mitigation, Julian White said the loss of losing his licence would have a significant impact on Nawaz who was married with two children.

He had been driving since 1987 and had been a taxi driver on an off for 30 years, and had always had a clean licence.

Mr White said Nawaz knew the couple, they were regular customers, and he had been to see them.

"He could not be more contrite. This was the definitive momentary lapse of concentration," said Mr White.

Probation officer Andrew Watson said Nawaz would learn from the incident and there was a question mark over whether he would get his taxi licence back once his driving ban was over.

Nawaz of Park Grove, Keighley, was given a 12 month community order with 100 hours unpaid work. He was also banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £114.

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Southampton Central taxi rank change could lead to strike

Ajmal Sudhan, 55, pointing at the pavement kerbs

Taxi drivers in Southampton are threatening to revolt over the 'thoughtless' redesign of a rank outside the city's biggest railway station.

A £5.5m redesign of Southampton Central interchange has been blasted by angry cabbies, who say the revamped rank on the southern forecourt is not wheelchair accessible.

They say the narrow design also means taxis sometimes have to drive across the pavement to leave - but the council claims it consulted drivers ahead of the changes.

In an email to the chairman of the city council's licensing committee, the Southampton Hackney Organisation called for an urgent meeting with key decision makers - and said it was 'putting in plans for multiple strikes against the council regarding this matter'.

These would start from February and run straight up to May's local election.

"It is a mess that has been created by Southampton City Council, which the council needs to fix," the email said.

Because the kerb for the new rank does not drop, wheelchair-bound passengers often struggle to get into the back of disabled-friendly taxis.

Chairman of the association, Ajmal Sudhan, said he has had disabled passengers rant about how they struggle to get into the back of taxis without a dropped kerb.

The 55-year-old said: “The passengers were very frustrated. I had one lady who couldn’t even get out of her wheelchair, and she couldn’t get into the car.”

Because of the narrow design of the rank, the only taxis which can easily leave are at the front of the queue, or at the end - because they can reverse out.

So if someone needs a wheelchair-friendly taxi and it is not in these positions, they often have to drive on the pavement to get out of the queue.

The council claims this issue is being managed by taxi drivers - but Ajmal disagrees.

He said: “The way that they designed this makes it look like they weren’t thinking.

“What the council have said to us is that cars behind it can just reverse to let the van out.

"But tell me how when it’s so busy here in the station, how are you going to get three taxis out of the rank while cars and passengers are at the station?

The driver of 30 years added: “The old rank was preferred because we had a lot more space. The new one they have come up with just makes things worse for us.”

The former chairman of the association, Sam Shahiedi, 69, met with the local authority to discuss the plans in 2021 - but claimed they 'changed the plans but didn’t check with us that it was okay with us'.

In response, Southampton City Council said: “The improved forecourt layout on the south side of Central Station has been designed to take into account the needs of all rail users and transport operators.

"Two dedicated areas for taxis have been provided, including a rank on the forecourt and a waiting area on Western Esplanade.

"The detailed designs were shared with representatives of the taxi trade, with the opportunity to pose any questions or concerns they had. The taxi rank was designed within the space available and the width is comparable to taxi ranks at other similar stations.

"The forecourt has only recently been re-opened and we are continuing to monitor its usage at this early stage. When a taxi with wheelchair access is located in the middle of the taxi rank, this is being managed by the taxi drivers.

"Wheelchair users also have the option to book a taxi to collect them from the disabled bay in the southern forecourt or use the northern side of the station where there is more space available for the wheelchair-accessible taxis.”

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Woman kidnapped and sexually assaulted by fake taxi driver
The defendant was 'cruising' the streets of Swansea in the early hours of the morning in his black car posing as a cabbie

A man posed as a taxi driver in order to kidnap a lone woman and sexually assault her. Andras Jancso lured his victim into his car in the early hours of the morning and drove her to an isolated car park before telling her he would not release her until she agreed to sex.

Swansea Crown Court heard the attack has had a profound effect on the young victim leaving her feeling "numb" and wishing for her old life back. She said when she realised the driver was not taking her home but was stopping in an empty car park she believed he was going to rape and kill her.

The court heard that in the early hours of July 2 last year Jancso was "cruising" the streets of Swansea city centre in his black car looking for women to have sex with. He identified a lone and intoxicated female who was making her way home following a night out with friends and after following her for some time persuaded her to get into his vehicle. The 45-year-old then drove her to the car park of Swansea Tennis Centre near the Morfa retail park – a location which at 4am was deserted – and demanded sex. The defendant then touched the woman's thighs over and under her clothes. The court heard the young woman managed to contact a friend on her phone and when Jancso realised what she had done he stopped the assault and drove the woman home.

In a statement from the victim that was read to the court she said she had always prided herself on being streetwise and thought she would be safe using what she thought was a licensed cab. She said she would never forget the feeling of "sheer panic" she experienced when she looked up to see the driver was pulling into an isolated car park with nobody around and no prospect of rescue. The victim, who has automatic lifelong legal anonymity, said: "I thought: 'This is how I am going to die. He is going to rape me and then he is going to kill me'." The woman also said she used to be a positive and outgoing person but now just feels "numb" and she said she wishes she could have the life she used to have.

Andras Jancso, of Coleshill Terrace, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, had previously been convicted by a jury of kidnap, sexual assault, and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence when he returned to the dock for sentencing. At the time he preyed on the woman in the city centre the defendant was subject to a community order for possession of indecent images and extreme pornography.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said on the night in question Jancso had been "cruising Swansea city centre" posing as a taxi driver and looking for women for sex in what was a "planned course of conduct". He noted that police subsequently found photographs and videos of women's behinds that the defendant had taken while driving around. The judge said CCCTV footage showed the defendant had followed his target in his black car for some time until she was alone and had then encouraged her to get into the vehicle by "effectively telling her you were a taxi driver" before driving her to the tennis centre car park and assaulting her. The judge said he had no doubt the defendant would have gone on to carry out a more serious sexual assault had his passenger not had sufficient wits about her to make contact with a friend via her mobile.

Jancso was sentenced to six years in prison comprising four years for kidnap, two years for sexual assault, and six years for committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence all to run concurrently. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for life and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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Taxi drivers have been protesting outside council offices against proposed new regulations.

They say the new rules, which are being discussed at a meeting on Tuesday evening, will discriminate against "migrant and minority workers".

They include a penalty points system and a requirement for good conduct certificates from foreign authorities.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) said the measures would improve standards and increase public safety.

The updated policy for Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers was proposed last year and the council consulted local drivers and operators.

It provoked a strong response from the industry, but drivers say a promise to make changes was broken with the draft rules largely untouched.

One of the most controversial proposals is a system of penalty points that would be imposed for infringements of the rules, including:

Failure to comply with the driver dress code

Failure to offer reasonable assistance with luggage

Failure to notify lost property to the police within 48 hours

Shafqat Shah, who chairs the local branch of the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU), said: "If I'm parked on a yellow line with passengers, I could actually get points for that. Where am I supposed to drop those passengers if they are disabled or anything like that?

"This is one of most stringent policies that they're doing in the UK. If it gets through in Northampton, then it's going to happen everywhere else."

Concern has also been raised in some of the consultation responses about the requirement for foreign nationals not continuously resident in the UK for more than five years to produce a certificate of good conduct authenticated by each country they have lived in.

ACDU said this rule was "a racist and xenophobic policy that unfairly singles out migrant workers".

WNC indicated that it would not comment before the meeting but previously said that "a huge amount of work has gone into devising an approach which levels the playing field for drivers and operators across West Northamptonshire".

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three men have been taken to hospital after a serious road crash in Dundee.

The collision between a grey BMW car and a blue Skoda Superb, which is thought to have been a taxi, happened on the Kingsway at 0220 GMT on Sunday.

The 43-year-old Skoda driver and his 33-year-old passenger were taken to Ninewells hospital after suffering serious injuries.

The 35-year-old driver of the BMW was also taken to Ninewells but his injuries were not said to be serious.

Tayside Police appealed for anyone who saw the incident, or either of the vehicles being driven before the crash, to contact them.

I have contacted the police as the BMW passed me like a rocket and failed to slow down on his approach to a roundabout. It was about 2minutes after he passed me that the crash happened .The driver of the skoda was a Perth taxi driver he was dropping of in Dundee when the accident happened. The police have told me he is in a bad way.

It makes me realize just how hard and dangerous a job being a taxi driver is.


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Taxi driver who ran over and killed pensioner lying injured in street spared jail

John Lee died aged 76 after Henry Vueza-Ngindu failed to heed the "frantic" warnings of members of the public

A taxi driver who ran over and killed a pensioner, who was lying injured in the road, has walked free from court.

Henry Vueza-Ngindu failed to heed the "frantic" warnings of members of the public who were tending to a stricken John Lee and ploughed into him with his car. The 76-year-old died "almost instantaneously" following the early hours accident.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Friday, that a woman called Carol Beals had picked her husband Ian and his friend Daniel McQuade up after a night out in the city centre and was driving them home along Westminster Road at around 1am on May 30 2021. As she approached the junction with Fountains Road in Kirkdale, they spotted Mr Lee "lying in the road in the opposite carriageway" and stopped to help.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, described how another car, driven by Stuart Wilson-Maher, also pulled over in order to assist him. Mr Lee told the Good Samaritans that he had "had a few drinks and fallen", but "started to complain of pain" when they tried to help him up.

"Fearing that he had serious injuries which may be made worse", the passers-by decided not to move him. They instead stood in the carriageway in order to block traffic.

But Mr McQuade then noticed Vueza-Ngindu's blue Skoda Octavia being driven along the 30mph route from the direction of Walton. It "did not appear to be slowing down" and was around "the length of a football pitch" away.

He began "frantically waving his arms" in order to attract the driver's attention, but the vehicle continued. Mr McQuade had to "jump out of the way to avoid being knocked out of the way".

The witness added in a statement: "I immediately put my head on my hands, as I knew what was going to happen. I spun around and heard a thud, like two vehicles colliding."

Mr Lee, whom neighbours reported lived alone and rarely had visitors, was "dragged some distance up the road" by the "private hire vehicle" before it came to a stop. He was tended to by paramedics, but died "almost instantaneously" due to "massive crush injuries to his chest and abdomen".

Vueza-Ngindu, of Doddington Lane in Salford, passed roadside tests for drink and drugs. Experts concluded that the dad-of-three had been travelling between 30 and 34mph shortly before the collision and had "braked immediately before or upon contact".

Under interview, the 53-year-old told detectives that "although he had seen the people around Mr Lee, he had not seen Mr Lee on the road before it was too late to avoid a collision". Mr Gibson said: "The prosecution's case is that, given the warnings by the members of the public and the fact that there were a number of people tending to the deceased, a reasonable and prudent driver would have at the very least slowed down to such a speed as to have been able to stop before colliding with the deceased as he lay on the road."

Nigel Beeson, defending, stated that his client has lost his employment as a result of the incident and his wife, a nurse, was now the family's "sole breadwinner". He added: "This is a very, very awkward situation in which my client finds himself.

"Nothing I can say will turn the clock back. He has not sought to hide anything from anybody.

"He has cooperated throughout. Faced with what must be an incredibly difficult situation, he has had the courage to plead guilty.

"This sad event was nearly three years ago. Not only have Mr Lee's family had to live with the consequences, so have my client's family."

Vueza-Ngindu, who has no previous convictions and used a walking stick in court, admitted causing death by careless driving. He was handed a nine month imprisonment suspended for a year, told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for a year.

Sentencing, Judge David Aubrey KC said: "This is a sad and tragic case. He was, regrettably, heavily intoxicated.

"There, in the middle of the road, he met his death. The man's name was John Lee, identified by that which was in his wallet.

"He was 76 years of age. Little more is known of him by the court.

"You are now in the dock, overwhelmed by the events, immersed in remorse and traumatised by the incident. As empathetic, compassionate, emotionally intelligent a man one could ever wish to meet.

"It may well have been a scene, to some extent, of some confusion. You having not seen Mr Lee and not knowing what was going on drove over him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene having received massive crush injuries.

"You had not been speeding. You had not been drinking.

"You were at work and you had braked either immediate before or on contact. But it was far too late.

"You simply had not heeded the warnings given by those members of the public. What you should have done was to slow down in order to avoid any hazard.

"You are a man of hitherto impeccable previous good character. The court accepts that you are full of remorse.

"You inevitably will lose your licence today, and thus your livelihood, in consequence. Your family are now struggling financially, and you rely upon your wife's income.

"You are also a father of three children, two of whom are dependant upon you and your wife. You yourself, I have no doubt, have been traumatised by the incident and the realisation that a life has been lost in consequence of your admitted careless driving.

"It is something, in truth, that haunts you. You experience flashbacks, you have become isolated and you also have a number of physical health issues.

"It was more than a momentary lapse. There was a potential hazard, and you did not heed the warnings of others.

"No sentence this court imposes can equate to or compensate for the loss of life. In my judgement, in the particular circumstances of this case, the balance weighs clearly in favour of suspending the duration of your sentence."
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Burglary lookout jailed at Teesside Crown Court after helping to steal Hartlepool taxi


Peter Clark admitted burglary and was jailed at Teesside Crown Court.

A lookout in a burglary where a taxi driver's car was stolen was caught driving the vehicle just hours later.

Peter Clark, 47, kept watch while his accomplice in crime broke into a house in Oxford Road, Hartlepool, overnight in August.

The cabbie put the car keys on top of an oven next to another set after returning home and going to bed.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said: “But when he came downstairs the following morning about 9.30am he discovered both sets of keys missing and his car had been stolen.”

CCTV footage from the area showed Clark outside the property at 6am while the other man quickly went inside and came out with something in his hands which he gave to Clark.

"Mr Clark was on a bicycle on the pavement keeping lookout,” said Ms Lamballe.

Less then five hours later, police spotted the stolen taxi being driven by Clark and two passengers.

Ms Lamballe added: “He drove away from officers ignoring their requests to stop the vehicle. There was a short pursuit.”

All three made off on foot but Clark and his co-accused were arrested, while a third male got away.

Clark pleaded guilty to offences of burglary, taking the taxi without consent, and driving without a licence or insurance.

The taxi driver said he no longer felt safe in his home following the break-in.

Martin Scarborough, mitigating for Clark, said he did not have a bad record for burglary and has been able to keep out of trouble for long periods of time in the past.

"He’s not normally someone who offends in this way,” said Mr Scarborough.



Burglary lookout jailed at Teesside Crown Court after helping to steal Hartlepool taxi


Peter Clark admitted burglary and was jailed at Teesside Crown Court.

A lookout in a burglary where a taxi driver's car was stolen was caught driving the vehicle just hours later.

Peter Clark, 47, kept watch while his accomplice in crime broke into a house in Oxford Road, Hartlepool, overnight in August.

The cabbie put the car keys on top of an oven next to another set after returning home and going to bed.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said: “But when he came downstairs the following morning about 9.30am he discovered both sets of keys missing and his car had been stolen.”

CCTV footage from the area showed Clark outside the property at 6am while the other man quickly went inside and came out with something in his hands which he gave to Clark.

"Mr Clark was on a bicycle on the pavement keeping lookout,” said Ms Lamballe.

Less then five hours later, police spotted the stolen taxi being driven by Clark and two passengers.

Ms Lamballe added: “He drove away from officers ignoring their requests to stop the vehicle. There was a short pursuit.”

All three made off on foot but Clark and his co-accused were arrested, while a third male got away.

Clark pleaded guilty to offences of burglary, taking the taxi without consent, and driving without a licence or insurance.

The taxi driver said he no longer felt safe in his home following the break-in.

Martin Scarborough, mitigating for Clark, said he did not have a bad record for burglary and has been able to keep out of trouble for long periods of time in the past.

"He’s not normally someone who offends in this way,” said Mr Scarborough.

Clark was last in court in 2021 for supplying heroin to undercover police.

He claimed he was frightened of his alleged accomplice in the burglary although the judge said he saw no proof of that.

Judge Howard Crowson said: “It seems to me this was clearly burgling somebody’s home in order to steal a car.

"It was done as the taxi driver slept upstairs. It must be an immediate prison sentence.”

Clark, of Keswick Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for 19 months.

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Egremont man remanded in custody over alleged taxi robbery

A MAN has been remanded in custody over an alleged knifepoint robbery involving a taxi driver.

Curtis Barron, 26, faces charges of robbery and threatening a person with a blade or sharply pointed article in a public place.

The defendant, of Beck Green, Egremont, is accused of robbing the taxi driver of a money bag with £80 in Egremont on December 16.

It also alleged that Barron had a knife in a public place and intentionally threatened the taxi driver with it.

Barron did not enter pleas during a hearing at Workington Magistrates’ Court on Monday. The case was sent to Carlisle Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on January 19.

The defendant was remanded in custody until his next court appearance.

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Wigan taxi driver prosecuted for refusing guide dog in car

A PRIVATE hire taxi driver has been prosecuted for refusing to allow a guide dog into his vehicle.

Responding to a complaint from a member of the public, St Helens Council’s licensing department filed a case against taxi driver Florin-Constantin Caliman.

Following an investigation, Constantin Caliman of Alfred Street, Wigan, was prosecuted for failure to carry a disabled person who was accompanied by an assistance dog under the provisions of The Equality Act 2010.

After pleading guilty at Liverpool Magistrates Court, the taxi driver was ordered to pay an £80 fine, £120 in costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

Welcoming the outcome, Councillor Kate Grocutt, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Business and Skills, said:

"The main duty of the licensing authority is public safety. The council takes its public protection role very seriously and is aware that disabled people are particularly reliant on taxi and private hire vehicle services.

"Assistance dogs are vital to their owners' safety and licensed drivers are required under the Equality Act 2010 to carry assistance dogs with their owners.

“The council will not hesitate to take robust action when required to investigate and prosecute licensees in response to cases of discrimination to ensure that all operators and licensed drivers treat their role in providing an inclusive service seriously.”

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Blackburn with Darwen taxi fares to rise as inflation hits cabs


Taxi fares in Blackburn with Darwen are set to rise by 7.5 per cent to help drivers and operators cope with the rising cost of fuel and parts.

However, the extra charge for Sunday and most bank holidays is to be scrapped.

Blackburn with Darwen Council environment boss Cllr Jim Smith has authorised the changes.

The rise has been welcomed by taxi drivers' boss Ashraf Mangera and Tory councillor and cabbie Cllr Tiger Patel.

Cllr Smith said in an executive decision: "Blackburn Hackney Carriage Association submitted a request on behalf of the trade for an increase in the fares for hackney carriage journeys.

"They need the rise because of the effect of inflation particularly fuel prices. The last increase was in 2019.

"The increase in fares will take effect from December 10.

"The fare for a two mile journey on Tariff One is currently £6.30.

"The proposal for Blackburn with Darwen is £6.77 for the two mile journey.

"This is a 7.5 per cent increase.

"The proposal is to also remove the increase of fare for Sundays and Bank Holidays (with the exception of Christmas and New Year).

"In effect this removes the premium on fares for Sundays and Bank Holidays."

Mr Mangera said: "This is a good decision. It is vital for us because of the impact of the cost of living crisis.

"The Sunday and Bank Holiday tariff makes little difference to us. Scrapping it will help customers."

Conservative Cllr Altaf 'Tiger' Patel, of Audley and Queens Park ward, added: "I welcome this.

"Drivers and operators are suffering from the cost of living crisis.

"The cost of fuel and parts is hitting them hard. This will help."

Meanwhile, talks between Cllr Smith and taxi cab and private hire drivers in Blackburn with Darwen regarding a possible series of strike in the run-up to Christmas, over the cost of vehicle safety tests, are continuing.

The drivers are angry at the council’s refusal to outsource the checks to private garages, rather than insist all are conducted at the council’s Motor Vehicle Service Station at its Davyfield Depot.

The 1,100 drivers of both hackney carriage and private hire vehicles have threatened to stage four strikes on Mondays in December unless the testing regime is changed.

Their representatives will meet Cllr Smith in the next week to try and find a solution.

Cllr Smith said: "I really hope the drivers do not go on strike."

Mr Mangera said: "No final decision on strike action has been taken. We will make that after meeting Cllr Smith again."
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Private Hire Driver Pleads Guilty and Faces Fines Following Court Proceedings

On 5th October, an Accrington private hire driver entered a plea of guilty at Burnley Magistrates Court to the offence of using a private hire vehicle without displaying a private hire plate.

The Defendant admitted to using the vehicle as a private hire vehicle whilst not exhibiting the plate in the manner prescribed by the Council, contrary to the legislation which requires all licensed vehicles to display a plate issued by the Council on the back of the vehicle at all times.

A spokesperson for Hyndburn Borough Council said:

“The Council take public safety very seriously and it is important that all licensed vehicles are displaying the correct signage at all times to ensure that members of the public can be satisfied that they are getting into a properly licensed vehicle. We would like to extend a warm thanks to everyone involved in seeing justice with this case and we implore the other licensed drivers of Hyndburn to heed this case as a sign that we don’t take these matters lightly – we are committed to the safety of our residents.”

The driver had been spoken to on a previous occasion and warned about not displaying the correct signage on his vehicle. Despite this, the licensing enforcement officer observed the vehicle on another occasion when it was not displaying the licence plate or any other signage.

The Defendant was fined £333 and ordered to pay £133 victim surcharge and £265 costs.

More information about Taxi and Private Hire guidelines, including legislation about licensing matters and the safety requirements of these vehicles, can be found at: https://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/taxi-and- ... -hyndburn/
 
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